Crestfallen
by have-a-little-faith
Summary: Picks up at the end of AoD. Lara and Kurtis on their adventures together, dealing with whatever comes their way. THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTER 7 IS NOW UP AND READY FOR REVIEWS!
1. Escape

Escape  
  
Lara walked into the darkness, her aching muscles still not cooperating. The last days had been merciless on her, but she'd been through worse. The further into the dark she went, the colder it seemed to get. A shiver tingled up her spine and she had to wonder if Kurtis was actually in here. There had been a lot of blood back in that arena – perhaps he used his last ounce of strength to try and find an exit. Was this his final resting place? Lara couldn't help but think so. She reached into her pack and brought out several glow sticks. She cracked the sticks and threw them out ahead of her.  
  
"Ah!" a voice quietly groaned.  
  
Lara knew at once who it was. One of the sticks had hit Kurtis and Lara could see his limp body lying next to where it had landed. He looked so helpless lying there in the soft green glow. Lara walked over to him at once and pulled out a med kit from her bag.  
  
"Where are you hurt?" Lara asked, realizing that Kurtis was conscious.  
  
"So nice of you to drop by..." he said weakly.  
  
He removed the hand that tightly gripped his stomach. Lara saw the severity of the wound and realized that it went straight through him.  
  
"Good Lord...I suppose your natural charisma didn't go over well with Boaz..." Lara told him as she tended to the wound, "We can't keep you here, you'll bleed to death. I guess even the Lux Veritatis are still only human." -Kurtis smirked at her but it faded as he winced in pain.- "Fighting pain is a battle that requires all your strength, so don't waste it on being a smart ass," Lara explained to him, "You know a way out of here that doesn't involve deadly traps?"  
  
Kurtis nodded slightly and swallowed. His throat and mouth felt like sand paper. "Got any water?" he asked Lara. She reached into her bag, pulled out a canteen and poured some in his mouth.  
  
"The exit..." she asked impatiently.  
  
"We have to go on through here, there's a manhole that will get us into the sewers," Kurtis explained.  
  
Lara put her things back and surveyed Kurtis' damage. "We have to get you outdoors quickly. The cold will help clot your blood and keep you alive until we reach a hospital," Lara said.  
  
"Well, we had better...get...moving then," Kurtis replied, with a bit of strain.  
  
Lara helped him to his feet and she could feel that he couldn't walk alone – he was putting most of his weight onto her. They moved further into blackness and Lara pulled out a flare for light. They came across the manhole that Kurtis had told Lara about and she propped him up against a wall. She worked with all her might to lift up the metal disk and moved it to the side. Then, the thought struck her at that moment.  
  
"How do you propose we get you down there when you can't even support yourself?" she asked, mainly of herself.  
  
And just as quickly as she had proposed the problem, she found the solution. She went into her bag and retrieved some rope. Kurtis looked at her strangely.  
  
"You never know what you're going to need," she said lightly. "Lucky for you, I've come armed with more than a pistol."  
  
Lara fashioned a harness and helped Kurtis into it, fastening it tightly. She then handed him a flare.  
  
"What are you doing exactly?" Kurtis asked looking pale.  
  
"Don't be a fool - I'm using you as bait to see if there are any surprises down there. They won't have to work much to finish you off..." Lara told him with a wink.  
  
She brought him over to the hole and kept her grip firm on the extra rope. Kurtis fired up his flare and Lara slowly began to lower him down. Her hands were covered in sores and she winced as the rope slipped in her fingers. She had lowered him maybe fifteen feet when she felt the weight of his body being supported by something other than her - Lara let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"I'm alright." Kurtis called up.  
  
Lara cut another long piece of rope and looked around for something to tie it to. She found a metal railing and tied it tight. She gathered the rest of her belongings and strapped herself onto the rope leading down to Kurtis. She slid down and nearly fell on top of him. She looked into his face and he was sweating profusely.  
  
"Kurtis, we have to hurry..." Lara whispered as if her breath had been taken from her.  
  
"I know, but we have a problem," Kurtis said and used what little strength he had mustered to point at something behind Lara. 


	2. On the Run

Regarding the last chapter and the cold helping blood clotting, I mean clots on the surface of the wounds, like a scab over a cut – not in the veins, which would be dangerous. There have been cases where cold climates have been known to save lives in deadly situations. I hope I have clarified.  
  
On The Run  
  
Lara slowly turned around and saw what it was. About fourteen feet above her stood a creature – mutated no doubt. It towered on its eight legs and oozed yellow puss. The look of it sickened Lara, and reminded her of the Bio-Research facility. She had seen Eckhardt's madness as he turned Boaz into a horrific creature...and this one was even worse. Lara and Kurtis kept very still; the bug-like creature wasn't advancing on them. Its mouth was dripping green slime that splattered on Lara. She wiped off a glob of the goo that had landed on her arm – it stung when it was left on her skin.  
  
"How in God's name did something like that get down here?" Lara whispered to Kurtis.  
  
Kurtis looked beyond the creature's legs and saw something else that disturbed him. He nudged Lara and moved his head in the direction he was looking. When Lara saw it, she knew what was going on. Beyond the bug there were shiny ooze covered eggs. The thought of something like this reproducing didn't settle well in her mind.  
  
"Boaz must've...had young..." Kurtis whispered feebly.  
  
"I can't shoot it from this distance...that slime will kill us if we get enough of it," Lara explained while racking her brain for a solution that would work. She was suddenly very aware that Kurtis couldn't exactly make a run for it while she pumped this thing full of lead...there had to be another way. She stared intently at the bug, and it just stared right back – waiting for them to make a move. Lara watched its eyes that were fixed upon her – they were relentless.  
  
"I've got to nuke it!" Lara exclaimed – a little too loudly. The creature let out its own high-pitched cry and stomped its legs.  
  
"Lara..." Kurtis started.  
  
"You'll have to run," Lara stated flatly.  
  
"I can't..." Kurtis replied.  
  
"Can't is not in my vocabulary...and you had better change yours," Lara told him sharply, "There's no other way."  
  
"Well there God damn well better be, I can't even stand..." Kurtis said. His breathing was becoming shallow and Lara could feel it as she leaned on him. She knew he couldn't run...he'd die if he did, but she had to at least try and motivate him. She was feeling the pressure...it would be so simple if it were just herself. She could just run, toss back a grenade and be done with it...but now there was Kurtis. She suddenly felt angry for helping him...he was a Lux Veritatis, and she knew he had powers – he demonstrated that quite clearly at the Louvre! He should take care of himself! But deep down Lara knew that he was too enervated. Lara just kept staring into the monster's face and those eyes...those eyes...  
  
"Kurtis...do you have anything else but your gun?" Lara said, careful not to upset the creature.  
  
"No," Kurtis replied, "Lara...save yourself, leave me here with a grenade and I'll take the mutated bitch down with me."  
  
"That's not a half-bad idea..." Lara said softly.  
  
"Then go..." Kurtis said as he put his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked at him. She could see the pain in his eyes and she knew it wasn't an option.  
  
"I won't leave you here...you don't deserve to die...yet," Lara whispered with a soft smile.  
  
"I'm not worth it Lara," Kurtis told her matter-of-factly.  
  
"I never said you were...but lucky for you there is a way for both of us to live," Lara said.  
  
Kurtis looked at her as she took out his chakra weapon that she had picked up. She activated the blades.  
  
"Can you handle it?" Kurtis asked.  
  
"I can handle anything," Lara replied, "I'm going to blind it – it will have the least amount of slime hitting us and may just give us enough time to escape."  
  
With that, she threw the bladed disk at the spawn of Boaz. The chakra cut into the creature's yellow eyes and the atrocious insect began to shriek and thrash about wildly. The weapon then began to head back to our two heroes. Lara reached out for it, but before she could, Kurtis' hand came out of nowhere and caught it. She looked back at him as he smirked. Lara jumped to her feet and grabbed Kurtis' arms. The monster was flailing about and crashing against the walls of the sewer and Lara could see the foundation they were under was giving way.  
  
"Hurry!" Lara said to Kurtis as they broke into a handicapped run. They moved in the direction away from the bug and headed toward the dark as they breathed heavily.  
  
"I can't see a thing!" Kurtis yelled as loud as his voice would let him.  
  
"That makes two of us!" Lara yelled back. The creature was making horrible screeching sounds and banging up against the walls, causing impact tremors. The two could hear it echo throughout the labyrinth. They kept on moving and off in the distance, Lara could see light.  
  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter – please review and I'll make more! 


	3. Hourglass

Hourglass  
  
Lara and Kurtis hobbled toward the bit of light that seemed ages away...and the blind bug was finding its way toward them. The concrete structure around them was crumbling...if they didn't hurry, they'd be crushed to death. Lara tried desperately not to think about dying, but couldn't help herself. Kurtis' breathing was becoming weaker by the minute and Lara could see that his bandages were soaked with blood. 'He's going to die...' she thought.  
  
"Come on you pansy-ass wanker!" she yelled at Kurtis. She had to keep him motivated, and this was the only way she knew how. Kurtis' face was extremely pale and his feet were dragging, but the sound of her voice seemed to put a little strength back in them.  
  
"We're almost there!" she screamed, but she was drowned out by the shrieking of Boaz' child. Lara looked over her shoulder and saw that it was gaining on them. It kept bumping into the walls and was feeling its way around.  
  
"Come on!" she said and Lara suddenly found power in herself that she thought didn't exist. She gripped Kurtis tighter and held more of his weight so he wouldn't have to exert so much energy. They were coming to the end – where the light was coming from. Lara saw that it was a metal grate and the light shone through it. 'Oh, Jesus Christ, this is not happening!' she thought as she wondered how they would get out. She left Kurtis by the wall – he was only hanging by a thread – and she went over to the grate. All that stood between death and freedom was a metal grille. Lara examined it and saw that it was rusted on the right side. She turned back to see where the bug was – and sure enough, it was right on their tail. She had to act now! Lara positioned herself a few feet back and with every ounce of force she could collect, she thrust her leg at the metal. It wasn't giving way. She glanced at Kurtis, who was sinking to the ground and then she looked back at the monster, which was oozing everywhere. She kicked at the grating again, this time with some result. The rusted parts were bending – but it wasn't enough. Lara was so exhausted that she could hardly stand, and at that moment she envied Kurtis' situation. She was losing hope and the foundation was falling to pieces around them. They were going to die one way or another – either by the mutation, or being flattened by the tons of concrete. Lara wanted to give up; she wanted so badly to just let them take her down. What was she fighting for anyway? So she could save some American who would die before they reached the hospital? So she could go back and be arrested for the murder of Von Croy? Who would believe her if she told them about the nephilim and Eckhardt and Karel? Her labor was in vain – and she was letting her state of mind consume her. She kicked at the grate, but with less and less force.  
  
"L...Lara..." Kurtis said, directing her attention toward him. "Don't give up," he said as he looked at her. She felt herself coming back to reality. Lara saw him draw his weapon and before she could even ask why, she heard him fire at the beast. She soon realized that this was not her darkest hour...it was his. He was the one dying and he was the one that was fighting now– and so, she would too. Lara narrowed her brows and let out a warrior-like scream as she kicked the metal with every bit of vigor – and then some.  
  
"I will NOT..." she began as she kicked again, "...BE DEFEATED..." she continued as the grating was almost completely busted in, "...BY ANYTHING!" And with that, the grating was pushed in, allowing them the chance to escape. Kurtis was still firing at the bug and Lara ran to him. He holstered his Boran X and gripped Lara's shoulders as she helped him up. The concrete was crashing down all around them and the blind, wounded monster was screeching at a vociferous volume. Lara held onto Kurtis and hoisted him into the tunnel where the grating once was. He began to crawl on through into the icy winds of Prague as fast as he could go. Lara followed right behind. As they came outside the Strahov and into the snow, Lara immediately began pulling a grenade and dynamite out of her bag.  
  
"Kurtis, go as fast as you can away from here...NOW!" she yelled at him as he staggered away from view. Lara could still hear the rumble from inside the sewers and strapped the dynamite sticks to the grenade. She put her pack back on and crouched at the pipe that led to that horrifying insect.  
  
"Go on and eat THIS bitch!" Lara yelled as she pulled the pin of the grenade with her teeth and tossed it down the hole. She began to run as fast as her legs would carry her. All she could hear now was the pounding of her heart in her chest. Her footsteps crunched in the snow and Lara's mind was suddenly very clear. She saw Kurtis up ahead of her and as she approached, she heard the deafening sound of the massive explosion behind her. She felt the heat on her backside as she leapt into the air, taking Kurtis down with her in the same way a linebacker would. The ball of fire and smoke hurtled into the sky while Lara covered herself and Kurtis as much as possible. Debris went flying all around them as thick black smoke billowed toward the heavens. Lara opened one of her eyes and saw the flaming wreckage. She felt a great sense of relief while she looked over to Kurtis, and saw that his eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing.  
  
Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and I'll continue! I really tried on this! 


	4. Dash

Dash  
  
Lara's smile dropped when she saw Kurtis' lifeless face. She sat up and rolled him onto his back.  
  
"Kurtis!" she screamed hoarsely to him. She pulled out a knife from her boot and cut the red bandages off of his torso. She saw that the snow was stained with his blood, but it had helped to close the wound. He had lost so much blood and he had so much trouble breathing before - Lara didn't know if she could bring him back into this world. She grabbed his wrist and couldn't feel any pulse. She knew that she could only do one more thing. Lara tilted his head back and brushed his dark brown hair away from his face. He looked almost peaceful like that. She positioned herself at his chest and put her hand on him. His body was warm but she had to work quickly. She found the tip of his sternum and measured up from there. She laid one hand on top of the other and pushed down.  
  
"One...two...three," Lara counted. She then leaned to his face and pinched his nose with her fingers and locked her lips onto his. She breathed into his mouth and filled his lungs with air. She snapped up quickly and went back to his chest.  
  
"ONE...TWO...THREE." Lara went back and breathed life into Kurtis. She listened for a heartbeat and got none. She was beginning to sweat and the beads froze on her skin.  
  
"ONE...TWO...THREE!" Lara pressed down on him, "Come on! You're not dying on my watch!" She leaned in close to his face and closed her eyes. She pressed her lips against his and she suddenly felt air coming into her own mouth. She pulled back as Kurtis coughed violently. Lara stared on as he opened his piercing blue eyes.  
  
"So nice of you to join me," Lara said to him. Kurtis was still struggling to breathe but he managed a small smile. "Wait here and I'll get my car," Lara told him.  
  
"Because I'm really going to hop up and run...away," Kurtis struggled to reply. Lara ran as fast as she could around the flaming wreckage and reached the SUV she drove here in. She jumped in and within a minute she was parked next to Kurtis. She opened up the back cargo space and went to kneel by Kurtis. She put her arm around his chest and he held onto her shoulders as they hobbled over the car. He lay down and she went around to the back seat and got some fresh bandages. She patched him up as he lay there in pain.  
  
"I can't stay with you when we reach a hospital," Lara started avoiding eye contact, "If I stay too long, someone will recognize me and then arrest me...I'm a wanted woman you know."  
  
"In more ways than one," he retorted weakly, but nonetheless charmingly. Lara looked him in the eye, raised an eyebrow and tied the bandages a little tight so that he winced slightly.  
  
"Down boy," she said to him. She closed up the cargo space with Kurtis in it and went around to the drivers seat. She started the car and drove off as fast as she could. She positioned the rearview mirror so she could keep an eye on Kurtis.  
  
"What's your full name?" Lara asked after a few minutes of silence.  
  
"Why so interested?" Kurtis asked right back while trying to make himself more comfortable.  
  
"For when we reach the hospital," Lara told him.  
  
"Surely...you won't...be giving them...my REAL name..." Kurtis said.  
  
"I suppose that would be imprudent of me," Lara replied. "I could give them a false name...like Pieter Van Eckhardt...I'm sure that would go over well once they discover the Cabal," Lara said facetiously. She was hoping in her mind that the public would find out about the Cabal and the nephilim...so she wouldn't have to be refugee. But somehow she didn't think they would buy into it.  
  
"Trent," Kurtis spoke. Lara was a bit dazed and she didn't understand Kurtis' comment.  
  
"Sorry?" Lara said apologetically.  
  
"My name. Kurtis Trent," he replied.  
  
"I see. I guess it suits from what I have devised of you," Lara said, "You seem like a typical thick-headed American...a cowboy type." She looked at her mirror to check on him and then back at the road. Off in the distance she saw a hospital. "Kurtis, we're almost there."  
  
Chaos ensued once Lara pulled the SUV out in front of the hospital and leaned on the horn. Medics rushed out to help Kurtis, all of them shouting in Czech. Lara stood by and helped them as they hooked an IV to Kurtis. They were able to get a staff member who spoke English to speak with Lara. He had a thick beard and accent.  
  
"How deed this haapen?" he asked her with a clipboard and pen in hand.  
  
"He was attacked by an animal, that is what he told me," Lara replied quickly.  
  
"Hees name?" the man asked after he scribbled on his board.  
  
"John...John Wayne," Lara told the man with a slight smile on her face. The man wrote it down and he didn't seem to notice anything wrong.  
  
"Yoor name?" he inquired. Lara looked at him from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Maureen O'Hara," Lara said. Again the man scribbled on his clipboard. He didn't say anything more and turned around to follow the stretcher-bound Kurtis. They rushed him down a white hall and Lara followed as far as the entrance. Kurtis was weary and he lifted his head slightly to look toward the entrance. Before he blacked out, the last thing he saw was a curvaceous silhouette in the distance.  
  
I KNOW THIS WAS A QUIET CHAPTER...BUT I PROMISE A LOT OF ACTION LATER. PLEASE REVIEW AND I"LL CONTINUE! 


	5. Detained

Detained

Lara opened her eyes painfully and forgot where she was for a moment. The ceiling didn't look familiar to her and so she was ready to pounce and kill her captor...only, there was no captor and everything came flushing back. She relaxed as she realized she was in a hostel just outside France's borders. Her journey from Prague had been long and arduous, but at least she was here and she was well. She had thought rest would come easily and refreshingly – but it did neither. Instead her eyes sagged even more and she felt even more exhausted than when she wasn't sleeping. She longed for home where she could recuperate properly...Winston would be such a help to her. But she was here and she was evading the law, so her defenses were always on guard, and that can be quite fatiguing. Her feet felt like sandbags – and their only purpose was to weigh her down.

She had thought long and hard about what she was going to do about her criminal status and had decided that she was going to turn herself in – not as a criminal of course, but as a witness to the activities of the Cabal. She would cross the borders and be taken into Paris to face the police. She'd only hope they'd listen. First things first however...she had to phone home. She'd been gone for longer than she'd told Winston, and even though he was used to her antics, perhaps his being in Paris would aid in her release.

------------------

"Winston? It's Lara..." she spoke into the phone.

"Lara? Are you all right? I don't think you've ever called me from one of you expeditions..." Winston's withered voice responded, "Have you spoken with Von Croy?"

'_My God, does he never read the news or watch television?'_ Lara thought.

"Perhaps you should turn the tele on Winston. Von Croy is dead, and I was framed for his murder – while I was still in the room," Lara explained. The voice on the other end did not respond for a few moments.

"Winston? Are you there?" Lara inquired.

"Y...Yes Lara. It's just that...it...it's not a good time," he replied.

"What? What are you talking about? Is something going on? I'm not a bloody murderer if that's what you think..." Lara said incredulously.

"N...No, not at all...I just...I have to hang up now Lara," Winston said with a shakiness in his voice that struck a chord with Lara.

"Winston, is everything alr..." Lara started, but before she could finish, she heard a click signaling Winston had hung up.

'_Something is off. Winston has known me since I was young... he can't seriously think that I've gone and murdered Von Croy,' _Lara thought to herself, _'I'll have to get home...but who knows how long that will take...I must get to France, the sooner I do this, the sooner I can clear my name and get home.'_

And so Lara got into her stolen SUV and made her way to the French border. Her heart beat slightly faster than usual as she waited in a line of vehicles at the border. Closer and closer she crept until she spoke to a French officer. He immediately recognized her face but didn't show it.

"Pleez step ouut of the vehicle Mademoiselle," the officer said. Lara obeyed.

'_How do they know I speak English?'_ Lara thought, and just as soon as she did, she knew that they knew who she was. Every bone in her body wanted to take a swing at the officer and escape, but she had to resist the temptation to fight and flee...she had to be cooperative – it made for a better chance of clearing her name.

"I'm Lara Croft, and I'd like to speak with the police in Paris regarding the Monstrum killings," Lara told him plainly. After hearing what she had just said, it sounded rather weak and stupid.

"There will be plenty of that," the officer scoffed.

"I'm going willingly. Remember that," Lara reminded. Some other officers restrained Lara and led her off to one of their own vehicles.

"Murders and a stolen caar? Quite the busy lady you heve been," one of the officers remarked from the driver's seat of the vehicle. Lara was in the back trying to keep her temper.

"Were you going to drive any time soon or were you waiting for me to escape first? Of course, a challenge isn't exactly you forte. Seems to me like you couldn't capture me without my help," Lara quipped. The officer's face turned red with anger and he sped the car off, followed by two other vehicles.

----------------

"You know, I never figured you for the Monstrum," a French investigator named Maurice Zetti spoke to Lara. She was now in an interrogation room back in Paris.

"And I never figured that someone around here spoke fluent English, but then again, life _is_ full of surprises, now isn't it?" Lara replied.

"So are you admitting to being the Monstrum?" Zetti said and raised his eyebrows.

"No, of course not. I didn't kill anyone," Lara spoke calmly. Zetti looked at her for a moment and opened his mouth to speak again.

"So, you expect me to believe all this Cabal, Eckhardt, and Karel business?" Zetti spoke as he took a seat across from Lara.

"Yes, because it's true," Lara said. She had to admit it though; her story was a hard one to swallow. Zetti stared at her for another moment and suddenly changed his attitude.

"Then I suppose it's lucky we've received word from Interpol about an underground society, the Cabal...and it's lucky that two more murders occurred after you were already seen in Prague. Well, lucky for you...not for the victims," he stated. Lara couldn't believe her ears, were they letting her go?

"Does this mean I'm free to go?" Lara asked outright. Zetti laughed and lit a cigarette.

"Not quite. I still need a little more information from you," he said.

"About what?" Lara asked knitting her eyebrows.

"What do you know of a young man riding a motorcycle using the name John Wayne?"

**Hope you enjoyed it! So sorry for the delay! Review please!**


	6. Interrogation

Interrogation

Tiny beads of sweat formed on Lara's forehead as her eyes opened a little wider at Zetti's description of a young man. Her seat felt unusually uncomfortable all of a sudden and it started to feel a lot warmer in the room than it really was. She must have made too much of an erratic movement because Zetti smiled at her as if he knew she did know something. Lara, however, quickly regained any composure she had lost and stared Zetti in his thoughtful green eyes. He flicked his ashes all over the place and the smoke was irritating Lara's throat, which is considerable since they were in a confined, unventilated space.

"Lady Croft...do you have information for me or not?" Zetti spoke with such an informal voice that a third party might think it wasn't important information at all. Lara recognized exactly what he was doing. He was trying to make any information she had seem inconsequential so she would feel more at ease to describe it in detail. No one's going to give up vital information, right? She'd seen it thousands of times in her adventures. She cocked half a smile and drummed her fingertips on the tabletop in front of her.

"Not at all. All I know is that John Wayne typically rode horses, not motorcycles," Lara responded coolly. Zetti raised his eyebrows at her.

"Have you never seen his movies? He'd wear one of those cowboy hats and carry a gun..." Lara continued.

"Yes, yes, yes Lady Croft. I am well aware of the movie star John Wayne, but it is not him I have any interest in," Zetti replied impatiently to Lara's feigned naïveté.

"Then perhaps you should make it clear just what sort of information you're after, and on whom," Lara told him. She could see he was beginning to tire of her company. Zetti drew in a deep breath of polluted air and put his cigarette out on the table. He rubbed sweat off his forehead and stood up so that he towered over Lara.

"Let me put things another way for you...perhaps to, uh...jog your memory?" Zetti began, "A hospital in Prague recently admitted a man in his late twenties, early thirties with a severe wound."

"That's awful news," Lara played along, but in a rather disinterested state.

"Yes, so it is. But he was not alone in arriving," Zetti continued.

"Oh no? Well, it's nice that he had a companion," Lara told him with a sophisticated air.

"The companion was you," Zetti blurted out. Lara raised her eyes to him in a state of artificial shock.

"Monsieur Zetti, I have no words to describe my feelings. I was certainly not there, how could I be? And _why_ would I be? I was looking out for myself, not for anyone else," Lara spoke rather convincingly.

"Maybe so, and this wouldn't be such an issue..." Zetti started.

'_Yes, no issue at all. That's why I've been held in captivity...because it's not a big issue,'_ Lara thought while listening to Zetti's speech.

"...but the man has already been released from the hospital. Well, not so much released as he just got up and walked away," Zetti said. Lara's interest returned.

'_He's escaped from the hospital? Already? But...I don't understand...how could he?'_ Lara's thoughts raced through her mind.

"Now, Lady Croft, I ask again, what do you know?'

Lara knew that if she didn't give him any information on Kurtis they would still let her go – but they'd hound her for months to follow. She drew in a deep breath and Zetti anticipated a favorable response. He leaned forward and put his hands on the table.

"Do you have any aspirin?" Lara finally asked. Zetti's face dropped and he knew that Lara would be a tough one to crack.

"Just a minute..." Zetti told her unenthusiastically. Lara never took painkillers, but she figured she'd just jerk him around for a while until he got the message she wasn't going to give up any information. Zetti left the dimly lit room and Lara relaxed by putting her feet up. Zetti returned a minute later with a clenched fist and slammed two pills on the table by Lara's feet. He then stared at her waiting for information. Lara's eyes moved from the pills to Zetti's anxious face and back to the pills.

"Monsieur, I need water," Lara told him. Aggravated, Zetti let out a hefty sigh and left the room again. This time Lara leaned forward to inspect the medication. They didn't look like aspirin, and indeed they were not. She pocketed the pills. Zetti returned with a glass of water and looked to see that the pills were gone. He looked at Lara suspiciously.

"Turns out I didn't need water after all," Lara said leaning back in her chair. Zetti bent down close to Lara's face – a little close for comfort, but Lara didn't flinch.

"What do you know Croft?" he practically whispered. Zetti's breath smelled of tobacco and peppermint – a combination Lara would not soon forget. She knew she had to say something.

"All right Zetti, I'll tell you what I know," Lara whispered back. Zetti removed himself from Lara's face but still stood over her.

"I know that you are not really French and you don't work for the Parisian police," Lara stated. Zetti took a step back.

"Indeed Lady Croft, I am not French by birthright. I am from America and I have lived in France for the past ten years, that is why I have the accent, but am fluent in English," Zetti spoke unaffectedly.

"And do you really work for the Parisian police?" Lara inquired. Zetti looked at her and smiled.

"Something like that," he responded.

"You're being vague," Lara stated teasingly. Zetti put his hands behind his back and paced the room. Lara noticed a scar on the palm of his right hand.

"You should know all about being vague Mademoiselle – you practically set the standard," Zetti said while looking at Lara from the corner of his eye, "Now, if you please, tell me about Mr. Anonymity?"

Lara smirked in a style reminiscent of Kurtis and knew exactly what she'd tell him.

"I know nothing of your phantom, so sorry to disappoint you. Can I go now?" Lara said flatly and quickly. Zetti gazed at Lara for a moment and nodded slightly.

"I suppose, but we'll be in touch Lady Croft – believe me, we'll be in touch, I promise you that" Zetti said as he opened the door for Lara to leave. Lara got out of her chair and walked out the door into the main station.

"I'm going to hold you to that Maurice," Lara told him without looking back.

"I always keep my promises Lara," Zetti said back. She stopped and turned around to face him in the bustling station.

"I'm only a phone call away," Lara replied and suddenly the young, clean-shaven, American born Frenchman seemed handsome to her. She whipped around and sauntered out of the police station a free woman– if only temporarily.

----------------

The rain came down as Lara looked solemnly at the bleak gray stone that lay before her. She was back in St. Aicard's graveyard now looking intently upon the headstone that would forever mark her mentor's final resting place. The funeral had happened during her expedition and so she was the lone figure cloaked in black that day. She crouched whilst she laid some white lilies on the ground before it and ran her fingers over the engraved words: Werner Von Croy, Beloved Archaeologist and Professor.

"I'm sorry old friend – I'm sorry that your last moments were full of fear. Rest easy now," Lara whispered tenderly. The rain ran down her cheeks and caught in her eyelashes. And little would anyone have known had they been there that day that hidden amongst the droplets was a solitary tear. It was one of those rare, mystical occurrences that no one would ever really see.

Lara stood up proudly and departed the cemetery in silence with her braid swaying behind her – she never looked back.

**Hope you enjoyed it! I figured the last one was too short, so I wanted to give another chapter as soon as I could. Please review, I love to read what you have to say! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far– you know who you are!**


	7. Out of Character

**Out of Character**

Stiff legged and mentally fatigued, Lara never wanted to sleep in her own home so much in her entire life. The plane was a welcome rest from the days of being a fugitive that preceded her flight. Lara's thoughts wandered to a hot shower as she stretched her legs, which were marked with cuts that had ceased their bleeding and formed protective skin. She could almost feel the warmth of the water cascading down her back when she felt a tap on her elbow. She looked over to the French officer who had accompanied her and he eyed her with a smile.

"So sorry mademoiselle," the officer, named Jeçois, apologized to Lara for bumping her "accidentally". Lara smiled coyly at him and lifted her hand to nudge his chin away.

"Eyes forward," Lara told him quite seriously and removed her hand. Why must she always be paired up with juvenile men? Lara did not feel she needed to be escorted, but Zetti had implored.

_'Zetti…I wonder what he's up to right now?'_ Lara thought. Those eyes had stuck with her…those blue eyes, that handsome face, his strange demeanor…

'_He lied to me.'_

An abrupt shake on the shoulder from Jeçois directed her attention back to the lovelorn attendant.

"We are about to land mademoiselle. I shall arrange for a taxi," Jeçois announced. Lara's thoughts quickly came to a halt.

"What about Winston? Hasn't he been contacted?" Lara inquired. Jeçois took Lara's hand, which she quickly withdrew, much to his dismay.

"Repeatedly. There was no answer," Jeçois said with solemn eyes. He thought Lara to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was so puzzled as to why she was not married. If he ever had a chance at a woman like that, he'd never let her go. He knew that she did not care for him and thought of him strictly as a French officer she would see once in her life and never again. But he could not help but feel the way he did about her. He wondered if she cared for anyone romantically or if he would ever see her again. Deep down he knew he never would.

Lara looked confused at the news of Winston.

_'Why would he not answer? He was so strange on the telephone last time I spoke with him…it's not like he knew I was coming back now…perhaps he was away when they were calling…'_

The flight set down while Lara and Jeçois prepared to exit. It was raining outside, the drops falling in Lara's eyelashes. She and Jeçois made their way to the front of the airport and Lara waited patiently while he hailed a taxi. Jeçois came back and stood beside Lara in the rain. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and saw Lara's profile – she was tired and still so pretty. He savored the last few moments with her as she got into the taxi. He leaned before her.

"It was an honor to accompany you mademoiselle," Jeçois said so very sweetly. Lara, oblivious to his gentility, smiled quickly at him and closed the door. The cab sped off into the gray distance and Jeçois was left standing in the rain alone, with visions of a goddess dancing in his mind.

Lara arrived in front of her manor a half-hour later – she had forgotten what it looked like in a matter of days. She stepped out as lightning flashed and thunder clapped.

_'Home again.'_

The taxi drove off and she was standing in the mud gazing upon her home with thoughts of comforting sleep ahead. She punched in her gate code and made her way to the front door. Zetti had returned her keys, among other belongings, to her that had been taken by the rabid rottweilers in previous days. She unlocked the massive entrance and looked around to find things just as she had left them.

"Winston! I'm back!" her yell echoed throughout the high ceilings. She received no response. The rain pounded on the rooftops. She walked to look at the mail she had missed during her expedition and found a note laying on the top.

Lara,

I hope you found your way home in one piece. I've left things as you like and I will be out for a few days, as there are some things that I need to attend to. Forgive me for my absence. I shall return on Thursday evening.

Winston

Lara placed the note back down and looked over at her calendar.

'_Today is Thursday. I suppose I'll see him later,'_ Lara thought and proceeded upstairs to take a long, hot shower.

She dried her long hair with a towel and decided it was best to retire until Winston returned later that day. She lay down upon her soft sheets in the darkness cast by the weather and closed her tired eyes. She drifted into sleep immediately.

Lara walked back into the police station in Paris and saw all the familiar officers, even poor Jeçois. She was back in the wretched hell for further questioning. She entered the room she knew all too well and sat down. Zetti stood before her in a different uniform – this time he had a gun on the table. He moved his forefinger and motioned for Lara to come to him. She strangely agreed, motivated by something other than her own will. She stood up and took a step closer. He inched forward until his handsome face was thisclose to her own. Should she kiss him? He was so close to her, right there…so close and yet she held back. Zetti held up a document and handed it to her. There were some scrawls of words written in Czech and the distinct names John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. It was the hospitalization paper written by the doctor she had spoken with in Prague. Lara's face became flushed – she knew what was coming.

"Who is he Lara?" Zetti whispered in her ear. She felt the humidity of his breath against her skin and her heart began to quicken. Lara closed her eyes and leaned into Zetti.

"I can't tell you Maurice…" she whispered back. He put his hand onto her shoulder and came even closer.

"Just tell me who he is," Zetti beckoned ever so sensually. Lara began to feel the full force of his body against her own and felt a weakness in her that she never felt before.

"I don't know much about him…only that he's a Lux Veritatis…" Lara broke the long silence. Zetti pulled away from her and she opened her eyes.

"Where is he?" Zetti asked rigidly. The sexually inclined voice from a moment ago vanished. Lara immediately knew she had made a mistake.

"I honestly don't know Maurice…" she replied with sincerity. He grabbed her and threw her against the wall violently. Somehow, Lara was powerless.

"WHERE IS HE!"

Lara awoke from her nightmare and reminded herself that she was back at home. A dream where she was completely out of character? Lara hated dreams sometimes. Always showing you the subconscious crap that she could care less about.

_'No man would ever have an affect on me like that…I'd never divulge information under pressure…never.'_ Lara reassured herself and laughed aloud.

'_But…why am I protecting him? It's not like I owe him anything…not like I have loyalties that lie with him…'_ Lara speculated about herself. She had only been sleeping a few hours and decided to go downstairs and make herself some tea. On her way down she passed her mail again and doubled back. She grabbed Winston's letter with vigor and read it again. Something clicked inside of Lara. She looked behind her and saw the front door was slightly open, rain being blown inside. Lara's eyes narrowed and adrenaline pumped through her body.

_'Winston didn't know I was coming home…and he never writes letters.'_

Lara knew something wasn't right and moved stealthily around in her home. Could the slams of her body against the wall in her dream have been intruders in her home instead? Lara desperately needed to get to her firearms. She made her way to the kitchen first, since it was closest, and grabbed one of her many knives for protection until she was able to get back upstairs. She crept around her rooms listening for footsteps and voices and looking for any sign of footprints. She neither heard nor saw anything. As she stepped lightly through the dark house, thunder booming overhead, she began to change her mind.

_'I may have left the door ajar…maybe Winston did write a note…maybe he left it just in case I did come home…I'm overreacting,'_ Lara thought and eased her stance after she had found no further evidence of a prowler. She journeyed over and closed the front door, locked it, and made her way back to her room, knife still in her hand. She smiled at how she always turned everything into an attempt on her life. It wasn't as if she were crazy or paranoid though – there had been several attacks made on her premises. Yet, she _was_ still on edge after fleeing for what seemed like an eternity. But Lara still couldn't help but wonder…

She pounded her way back up the staircase and entered her darkened bedroom once again. She was about to reach for the light when a voice startled her from behind.

"Glad to see you're alright Lara."

Lara's reflexes were called into action and she spun and threw the knife in the direction of the unwitting voice.

A/N: HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT! PLEASE REVIEW!


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